About Government Publications
Government information is a publication or any information resource created, issued, published or financed by a government agency. Such agencies can be at international, national, state, regional, county, or local levels. Government information is also considered to be a primary source. Primary sources are defined as the raw, unanalyzed material that is the starting point and basis of all good research. A primary source can be anything that offers a first-hand account, such as letters, maps, photographs, paintings, a poem, the manuscript of a novel, a newspaper advertisement, a diary, census data, statistics or a report. A primary source is an original, a one-of-a-kind, or the first of its kind.
Many times, facts or information being sought are located in specific resources such as particular government agency publications or electronic database files. Government Information is a changing medium. The traditional forms of paper publications have been migrating for over 20 years to formats which are increasingly Web based. Many government agencies that collect and disseminate information maintain websites.
Information provided here will serve as a guide to resources, both Web based, and in other formats for historical information.